Around noon on the second day of consecration of Yogeshwar Linga, Sadhguru was guiding a 12500 strong congregation of yogi participants from 70 countries through an intense kriya. By the end of the kriya, he asked them to put three fingers on their forehead to feel the ‘third eye’. The participants roared in ecstasy! Depending on how much sadhana each had put in over the years, one experienced something indescribable and unique at that very moment!

On Mahashivratri night, as Sadhguru and Modi shared the stage to unveil the 112 feet tall face of Adiyogi, the mood among the 5 lac strong audience was electric! Modi was a Yoga Veera, Sadhguru declared. Please recall that Modi had proposed an International Day of Yoga at the UN and subsequently led a record number of people into a yoga session on the streets of Delhi. Modi praised Sadhguru for having made yogis out of ordinary people and that he could see so many vibrant faces around. The crowd roared, liking every bit of this camaraderie.

The above two were just some of the several mesmerising moments that one came across during the week long (19th Feb to 25th Feb, 2017.) events at the Isha Ashram that involved consecration of the Yogeshwar Linga, consecration of the 112 ft tall face of Adiyogi (Shiva – the first yogi) and the night long Mahashivratri celebrations.

Run-up to the events

I have been a yoga practitioner for four years now. Just as I was thinking of going for a higher level yoga program, a Twitter friend informed me of these upcoming events and forwarded to me relevant literature. Consecration of a Linga? I had never witnessed one. I also knew that I might not get an opportunity to participate in another one in this lifetime. I immediately enrolled.

As I shared my intention to participate with my friends and relatives, they thought I just wanted to take a break from my routine. Others thought it was a good way to relieve myself of stress. None of this was the correct assessment. My purpose of attending the program was two-fold.

Consecration of a Linga is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, how many of us have attended such a program? How many of us have been fortunate enough to have contributed to a Linga with our own life energies?

Attending a program of this nature would accelerate my spiritual journey. It would give me an opportunity to absorb what could otherwise take me years of sadhana.

Spirituality being a different dimension altogether, it took quite an effort to explain that my attending the program was not akin to ‘running away’ but to actually empower myself to be able to conduct this life smoothly.

Anyway, I was quite excited in anticipation of the event and was looking forward to it eagerly.

We were told in advance that the event was attracting record participation. I braced myself for a large gathering at the Ashram.

The events

I reached the ashram on Sunday, 19th Feb 2017 and was amazed to see the sheer size of the event.

It started on 19th evening itself when Sadhguru brought the Yogeshwar Linga on a chariot to the Adiyogi Alayam for consecration. Setting up the Linga on stage was quite an effort. That set the stage for consecration over the next three days.

Our sessions of Linga consecration by Sadhguru used to start at 10 am every day and ended around midnight, with adequate breaks in between. It was nice to watch all participants completing their morning sadhana at whatever space they could find in the corridors, lawns, dormitory etc. and be ready well in time.

These sessions involved Sadhguru consecrating the Linga, yoga kriyas, mantras, videos, Q&A etc.. Over the three days, we watched, spellbound, a spectacular display of the spiritual dimension. Each of the 12500 participants from 70 countries soaked what could otherwise take us years of sadhana.

Sadhguru explained the importance of the Yogeshwar Linga as a doorway beyond the physical dimension and why, instead of human beings, we consecrate Lingas. He also dwelled on the importance of wearing white and black clothes depending on the occasion. He also said that one would wear the crown of ignorance if one thought that what was not in one’s perception didn’t exist. He advised all to neither believe nor disbelieve; just keep an open mind and seek answers with sadhana.

Once the Linga was consecrated, it was transported near the 112 feet Adiyogi face as a source of energy for the statue.

On completion of the consecration, we were specifically told neither to do the yoga kriyas nor chant the mantras we learnt at home. These were meant for the consecration event only.

Then came the Mahashivratri night. It was a full night event of dance, music and yoga. The idea of night long celebrations is that on this night, there is a natural upsurge of energy in the human body if the spine is kept erect. So people just stay awake and tap into the energy on Mahashivratri night.

We could see many celebrities attending but the star of the day had to be India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The five lac strong crowd lapped up every bit of what Sadhguru and Modi said on stage. There were cheers and rounds of applause. Modi spoke in English, keeping in mind a largely Southern and foreign audience.

Modi then unveiled the much awaited Adiyogi statue – a stunning piece of geometry that would remind the world of the first yogi, the first Guru.

Thereafter music celebrations started, interspersed by midnight sadhana with Sadhguru.

I had never been awake for the whole night ever since I completed my college. However, time flew! Every time I saw my watch, two hours had gone by as if in just a few minutes. In the meantime, I was getting messages that I had been seen in the TV coverage of the event. So, friends and family back home were watching too!

Anyway, the Mahashivratri celebrations ended at 6 am the next day. Sadhguru was awake, dancing and chanting with us all night. It had been a memorable week for us all; something we would cherish for the rest of our lives.

After the event

It’s been four days since I returned from the ashram as I write this. During my yoga sessions, my body still feels vibrations that I have brought from the ashram; as if my spiritual journey has been turbo-charged. This was exactly one of the reasons I was there in the first place!

@amancool5 Please write one! Everyone who has been familiar with #Isha can definitely relate to your experience. 🙂

I decided to write this blog post as there have been many people asking me about the experience. I thought it was prudent to chronicle it, considering the immensity of the event even for my spiritual journey.